Cub Tracks’ field trips

Cubs win again! Baseball is fun in the sunshine. Go here for details.

I don’t know about the others but this reporter is glad for spring training, especially as I can use some myself. Every season is a new challenge, a chance to reassess, retool, retrench, refresh, recall, repair, re-arm, reinvigorate, re-cast, repent. I myself am in the best shape of my life (round) and am working on refining my in-season menu, wardrobe, and jokes, having acquired yet another Cubs cap just a bit ago, and a pair of red-and-blue-striped Zubaz to go with the “Bring Him Back” shirt from last year, which has a few wins in it. The jokes are still at the post office.

Such is life on a Sunday in the land of the final frontier. I’m not going to be able to visit the Cubs this spring, alas, so the journey will necessarily be a pretend one. Won’t you join us on a Sunday drive?

And now, without further ado, I will leave you with Picard’s command for the robot tailor — “Make it sew!”

Here’s Cub Tracks News and Notes. As always, * means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. (In the comments section, use @ before and after your remarks @ to produce sarcasm font. In the text body. It doesn’t work in the headlines.)

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Beth Mowins makes history as the 1st woman to call a Chicago Cubs game — serving as the play-by-play announcer on Marquee Sports Network: ‘I think it’s going to be fabulous.’ “The expectation is Mowins will call five to six Cubs games this season.” Jordan Bastian offers his take.
• Russell Dorsey (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Three takeaways from Cubs’ spring training with two weeks until Opening Day. “While some Cubs’ storylines will fade as the spring winds down, others will affect the team even after the regular season begins.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Cubs notes: Jake Arrieta, Adbert Alzolay make adjustments as roster crunch continues. “Arrieta said that he’s been able to make some adjustments with his delivery...”
• Russell Dorsey (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Arrieta rounding into form with regular season approaching. “Arrieta allowed one run and four hits in four innings against Cleveland, striking out five.”
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Alzolay has identified key to unlocking arsenal. “I was just getting too anxious to throw the ball,” Alzolay said.
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Cubs are not locked Into a nine-man bullpen to start the season. “... the Cubs might want to be able to carry five players on the bench to open the season.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): ‘Sneaky good pitchers’: Cubs’ ‘pen in focus. “I’m seeing more depth than I thought we had,” said David Ross. Russell Dorsey has thoughts on this, as well.
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Kyle Ryan among 9 players Cubs trim from spring roster. “Also being sent to Iowa were James Norwood, Justin Steele, and Brailyn Marquez. Michael Hermosillo, Nick Martini, Joe Biagini, Ian Miller, and José Lobatón were reassigned to minor league camp.”
• The Guardian*: Chicago Cubs prospect arrested with 21 lbs of meth in team duffel bag. Jesus Camargo-Corrales, 25, faces felony charges in Colorado.
• Sunday Brunch Bunch: